Labour refuse allowance rise

LABOUR councillors will refuse a 1.5 per cent increase on their basic allowances if it is decided upon at a meeting of the Daventry District Council tonight (Thursday).

The recommendation to increase members’ allowances for the financial year 2013/14 comes from the Independent Remuneration Panel and is in line with the average pay increase for men and women workers in the East Midlands Region.

Labour leader Wendy Randall said members of her party would oppose the recommendation and would not accept an increase if it went through.

She said: “As a group we are standing together to appose this.

“We just feel that at a time when the council are cutting here there and everywhere it wouldn’t be the moral thing to do to accept an increment, So we won’t be accepting it. ”

The standard of living increase of 1.5 per cent across all allowances would result in an additional cost of £3,660.